Shelf bracket



R. s. SANFORD 2,304,658

SHELF BRACKET Filed Jan. 2'7, 1939 Patented Dec. 8, 1942 SHELF BRACKET Roy S. Sanford, Oakville, Conn, assignor to The Incorporated, Oakville, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application January 27, 1939, Serial No. 253,064

Autoyre Company,

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a shelf bracket and has special reference to a means for supporting shelves of varying widths on a wall or other support in a manner to prevent accidental displacement of the shelves in any direction and to accommodate lack of uniformity of the shelves.

More particularly, this invention relates to an adjustable shelf bracket comprising a metal frame having a wall-engaging portion and an angularly extending shelf-engaging portion together with a slide having one end portion there'- of frictionally engaging the shelf-engaging portion and extensible therein for accommodating shelves of varying widths, the free end portion of the slide having a channel-shaped portion for receiving an end edge of the shelf to prevent accidental movement thereof in one direction and a depressed portion for frictionally engaging the shelf to prevent accidental movement in the other direction.

The present invention also has reference to an adjustable shelf bracket of the general type indicated above in which one end of the slide is provided with spaced forks having one or more lips extending therefrom intermediate the length and out of the plane thereof .with a finger on the shelf-engaging portion of the bracket frictionally engaging the slide to resist movement thereof and engaging the lip or lips of the slide to limit the extended movement thereof.

Various types of shelves are now commercially exploited and may be of wood, metal or glass. Such shelves, sold independently of brackets therefor, are not always uniform and in fact quite frequently the bracket-engaging portions thereof may lie in separate planes. The edges of the shelves may be square or, a popular type of shelf glass now commercially exploited has a so-called bulb edge and is thereby non-uniform as to thickness. Wood, of course, is known to warp when damp, sheet metal may twist in its manufacture or handling, and glass likewise may not have the surfaces thereof lying in the same plane. The present adjustable shelf bracket is such as to conform to the shelf in order to prevent instability of its support therefor.

In accommodating the bracket to fit the shelf so as to support the shelf in a stable condition,

consideration must be given to the prevention of accidental displacement of the shelf on the brackets. Frictional resistance is obtained in both directions longitudinally of the shelf and laterally in a direction outwardly of the wall,

the Wall or other support preventing accidental movement in a direction inwardly, the friction being supplied by the slide engaging the channels of the a'ngularly extending shelf-engaging portion and also by a channel-shaped portion on the free end of' the slide. Thus the shelf is held against accidental displacement in all directions.

One of the objects of this invention is to' provide a bracket of the type hereinabove noted having an extensible slide for accommodating shelves of various Widths, the slide being frictionally held in a desired position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a shelf bracket of the type indicated above in which a channel-shaped portion is provided onthe end of the slide, a depression being afforded by a cut-away portion or otherwise for engagement with the shelf to prevent accidental movement endwise thereof. I

Other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter be more particularly pointed out and, for a more complete understanding-of the characteristic" features of' this invention, reference may now be had to the following'de'scripti'on when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which latter:

Figure 1 is a side elevational viewp'ar'tially in section of a shelf bracket incorporating the'features of this invention, the bracket being secured to a wall and supporting a shelf;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the bracket of Fig. 1 showing a fragmentary portion of the shelf held thereby;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3" of Fig. I;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional View taken on the line 4-4 ofFig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan elevational view of the slide of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a plan elevational View of a modified connected between the'wall and shelf eng'aging portions for reinforcing the bracket.

frictionally engages the shelf-engaging portion H and is extensible therefrom for accommodating shelves, such as the shelf M, of varying widths.

The .wall-engaging portion ID of the bracket is preferably formed of a strip of sheet metal which is embossed peripherally thereof in order that a maximum strength may be obtained from a minimum weight of material and also to enhance the appearance of the bracket. A hole I5 is provided adjacent each end of the wallengaging portion for the reception of screws or other securing means for fastening the bracket to a wall or other support.

The shelf-engaging portion H is preferably formed integrally with the wall-engaging portion I0, flanges 16 being formed preferably at right angles to the main body portion and of an overall dimension in width to correspond substantially to the Width of the wall-engaging portion so that the edges abut against the peripheral surfaces of the wall-engaging portion as at I! to aid in supporting the shelf-engaging portion in its angular position. The abutting edge indicated at I! may be cut at any angle that is desirable to support the shelf.

An extension is directed from each of the flanges l6 inwardly toward each other to form ledges l8 and the ledges, in turn, form together with the main body portion of the shelf-engaging portion, opposed channels the depth of which are substantially the thickness of the material of the slide l3 so as to slidably receive and thereby permit an adjustment of the slide to accommodate shelves of various widths. the outer end of the shelf-engaging portion of the bracket are formed with inwardly directed co-operating fingers l9 and which substantially meet centrally of the width of the shelfengaging portion and are preferably inclined in a direction toward the slide l3 to provide a frictional engagement therewith.

The slide l3 comprises a main body portion the outer edges of which are engaged in the channels formed by the ledges I8 of the shelf-supporting portion, the free end portion of the slide having a shoulder 2| raised above the plane of the main body portion and a channel-shaped extension 22 extending therebeyond for supporting and for receiving the end edge of the shelf. The opposite end of the slide is bifurcated to provide spaced forks 23 and 24 having integrally formed lips 25 and 26, respectively, on the inner edges thereof, extending in a direction toward each other intermediate the length and being inclined out of the plane of the slide to engage the fingers l9 and 20 in a fully extended position of the slide. While two such lips 25 and 26 are shown, it will be understood that only one or the other of such lips is necessary to perform the function. The forks 23 and 24 are provided with integrally formed ears 23a and 24a on the outer edges thereof deformed from and projecting beyond the normal plane of the edges. Th ears 23a and 24a engage the side walls of the channels of the shelfengaging portion and provide a frictional resistance therebetween, the spaced forks 23 and 24 providing the resilience necessary for this function.

When the slide is in an assembled position relative to the shelf-engaging portion, the shelf i4 rests On the shoulder 2| of the slide and on a seat 21 of the shelf-engaging portion of the bracket, the shoulder and seat being raised above the planes of the main body portions, respectively,

The ledges at '7 of the drawing, the slide 29 therein shown may shelf. with spaced forks 33 and 34 and an aperture 35 of the slide and shelf-engaging portion. The slide is moved inwardly or in the direction of the wall or support for the bracket so that the end edge of the shelf is received in the channelshaped portion of the slide with the opposite end edge of the shelf abutting against the wall or other support.

The frictional resistance of the fingers I9 and 20 and the cars 23 and 24 prevents accidental displacement of the shelf l4 outwardly in a direction away from the wall. However, it is desired that the shelf be restrained against accidental displacement endwise of the brackets and a depressed portion 28 is provided on the upper face of the channel-shaped portion of the slide for frictionally engaging a portion of the shelf. The depressed portion 28 in the instance of the drawing is shown as being a cutaway portion, the material of the channel-shaped portion of the slide being slit at spaced portions intermediate the width thereof. Slitting the material of the channel-shaped portion in this manner provides a cutaway portion in the form of a spring finger 28, the spring finger normally being offset or depressed with respect to the plane of the portion from which it was out so as to bear directly on the shelf with the shelf, in turn, being urged against the seat 2! to provide frictional resistance against movement thereof.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 6 and be used interchangeably with the slide 13 of the previously described embodiment. The specific slide illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7 is formed of a I relatively thin sheet metal stock having a main 'body portion 30 with a shoulder 3| raised above the plane of the main body portion and a channel-shaped portion 32 extending therebeyond for supporting and for receiving the end edge of a The other end of the slide is provided adjacent thereto, the spaced forks having ears 33a and 34a, respectively, deformed from the material of the outer edges thereof. The slide is mounted in the channels of the shelf-engaging portion of the bracket and operates in the manner previously described with respect to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the ears 33a and 34a engaging the side walls of the channels of the shelf-engaging portion, and the fingers l9 and 20 engaging the wall 36 bounding one side of the aperture 35 to limit the extended movement of the slide in the bracket. The fingers l9 and 20 frictionally engage the bottom of the slide to assist the ears 33a and 34a in fixing the slide in a desired adjusted position against accidental movement thereof.

In this modified form of slide construction it has been previously noted that the material thereof is relatively thin and resilient. It is desirable to have the main body portion of the slide sufliciently rigid for its use in frictionally resisting movement of the shelf in a direction longitudinally of the slide although the normal resilience of the material is desired to be maintained over the substantially channel-shaped portion 32 so as to frictionally engage the end of the glass to prevent sidewise movement thereof. For accomplishing this end a plurality of longitudinally extending embossments 31 are provided, the embossments preferably extending from a point adjacent the spaced fork members to and including a portion of the channel-shaped member 32. Thus, the relatively thin and resilient sheet metal strip is made rigid where rigidity is desirable and remains" resilient where resiliency is desirable for frictionally resisting movement of the shelf.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 8 and 9, the slide 38 shown therein may also be used interchangeably with the slide previously shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive. The material of the slide shown in Figs. 8 and 9 may be heavier and of less resilient material than that shown in Figs. 6 and 7 although preferably not as heavy as the material shown in the slide of Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive. The main body portion 39 has a pair of spaced forks 49 and 4|, respectively provided with ears 40a and 4m, at the channel-engaging end thereof with an aperture 42 adjacent thereto, the co-operating fingers I9 and 20 bearing against the material bounding the aperture 42 to limit the outward movement of the slide. The other or free end of the slide is provided with a shoulder 43 having a channel-shaped portion 44 extending therebeyond.

It is preferable, although not essential, that a longitudinally extending embossment 45 be formed preferably centrally of the width of the main body portion between the end of the aperture 42 and the shoulder 43. The channel-shaped portion 44 in this instance is preferably of a shape to accommodate the so-called bulb edge glass shelf and differentiates from the channel-shaped portion of the slide of Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, in that the latter is preferably adapted for the usual square edge glass. However, while these particular shapes are preferably desirable for the different shaped glass edges, still, as above stated, the slides may be used interchangeably and may be adapted for use with any type shelf.

The channel-shaped portion 44 is shown as having a finger 46 cut away from the material and intermediate the width thereof. The out formed in the channel-shaped portion extends from the shoulder to a point closely adjacent the extreme end of the channel-shaped portion. The finger 46 thus formed is resilient and bears against the upper surface of the shelf to urge the shelf downwardly on the shoulder 43.

While several embodiments of this invention are herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various modifications thereof may be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention and, therefore, the same is only to be limited by the scope of the prior art and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An adjustable shelf bracket comprising a metal frame having a wall-engaging portion and an angularly extending shelf-engaging portion, and a slide having one end portion thereof frictionally engaging said shelf-engaging portion and extensible therein for accommodating shelves of varying widths, the free end portion of said slide having a channel-shaped portion for receiving an edge of said shelf to prevent accidental movement thereof in one direction and having a cut-away portion of substantially less width than the width of said slide for co-operation therewith and extending out of the plane of said channel-shaped portion for frictionally engaging said shelf to prevent accidental movement in the other direction.

2. An adjustable shelf bracket comprising a metal frame having a wall-engaging portion and an angularly extending shelf-engaging portion, and a slide having one end portion thereof frictionally engaging said shelf-engaging portion and ill extensible therein for accommodating shelves of varying widths, the free end portion of said slide having a channel-shaped portion for receiving an edge of said shelf to prevent accidental move ment thereof in one direction, said channel shaped portion having a resilient offset portion deformed inwardly from the material of said channel-shaped portion and of substantially less width than the width thereof for cooperation therewith for frictionally engaging said shelf to prevent accidental movement in the other direction.

3. An adjustable shelf bracket comprising a metal frame having a wall-engaging portion and an angularly extending shelf-engaging portion, and a slide having one end portion thereof frictionally engaging said shelf-engaging portion and extensible therein for accommodating shelves of varying widths, the free end portion of said slide having a channel-shaped portion for receiving an edge of said shelf to prevent accidental movement thereof in one direction, said channel-shaped-portion having a cut-away resilient finger offset with respect to the plane and intermediate the width thereof for frictionally engaging said shelf to prevent accidental movement in the other direction.

4. An adjustable shelf bracket comprising a metal frame having a wall-engaging portion and an angularly extending shelf-engaging portion, and a slide having the main body portion thereof frictionally engaging said shelf-engaging portion and extensible therein for accommodating shelves of varying widths, the free end portion of said slide having a shoulder raised above the main body portion and a channel-shaped portion extending therebeyond for supporting and for receiving an edge of said shelf to prevent accidental movement thereof in one direction, said channel-shaped portion being deformed intermediate its edges to form from the material thereof an inwardly offset portion of less width than said channel-shaped portion for frictionally engaging said shelf to prevent accidental movement in the other direction.

5. An adjustable shelf bracket comprising a metal frame having a wall-engaging portion and and a slide having the main body portion thereof frictionally engaging said shelf-engaging portion and extensible therein for accommodating shelves of varying widths, the free end portion of said slide having a shoulder raised above the plane of the main body portion and a channelshaped portion extending therebeyond for supporting and for receiving an edge of said shelf to prevent accidental movement thereof in one direction, said channel-shaped portion having a cut-away portion intermediate the width thereof extending out of the plane thereof for frictionally engaging said shelf to urge the same in contact with said shoulder to prevent accidental movement in the other direction.

6. An adjustable shelf bracket comprising a metal frame having a wall-engaging portion and an angularly extending shelf-engaging portion, said shelf-engaging portion having opposed channels, a slide engaging said channels and extensible therein for accommodating shelves of varying widths, the channel-engaging end of said slide having spaced forks, a lip extending from one of said forks in the direction of the other spaced fork intermediate the length and out of the plane thereof, and a resilient finger on said shelfengaging portion for frictionally engaging said slide to resist movement thereof in said channels, said lip lying in the path of movement of said finger to engage said finger to limit the outward movement of said slide.

'7. An adjustable shelf bracket comprising a resilient metal frame having a wall-engaging portion and an angularly extending shelf-engaging portion, said shelf-engaging portion hav in opposed channels, a slide engaging said channels and extensible therein for accommodating shelves of varying widths, the channel-engaging end of said slide having spaced forks, a lip extending from one of said forks in a direction toward the other of said forks and formed integrally thereon intermediate the length and out of the plane thereof, and a finger formed integrally with said shelf-engaging portion for frictionally engaging said slide to resist movement thereof in said channels, said lip lying in the path of movement of said finger to engage said finger to limit the outward movement of said slide.

8. An adjustable shelf bracket comprising a metal frame having a wall-engaging portion and an angularly extending shelf-engaging portion, said shelf-engaging portion having opposed channels, a slide formed of a sheet of relatively thin resilient sheet metal engaging said channels and extensible therein for accommodating shelves of varying widths, the channel-engaging end of said slide having spaced forks and an aperture adjacent thereto, the other end of said slide being of channel shape and having an intermediate slit portion forming a resilient finger for frictionally engaging said shelf to prevent accidental movement thereof, longitudinally extending embossinents over the channel-engaging end of said slide for stiffening the resilient material thereof, and a finger on said shelf-engaging portion for frictionally engaging the main body portion of said slide to resist movement thereof in said channels, said finger engaging a wall bounding the aperture of said slide to limit the outward movement thereof,

9. An adjustable shelf bracket comprising a resilient metal frame having a wall-engaging portion and an angularly extending shelf-engaging portion, said shelf-engaging portion having opposed channels, a slide engaging said channels and extensible therein for accommodating shelves of varying widths, the channel-engaging end of said slide having spaced forks, a lip extending out of the plane of said slide adjacent said forks, ears extending outwardly from said spaced forks for frictionally engaging the side walls of said channels, and a finger on said shelfengaging portion for frictionally engaging said slide, said ears and said finger frictionally resisting movement of the slide in said channels, said finger engaging said lip on said slide to limit the outward movement thereof.

ROY S. SANFORD. 

